


Taking the Time

by queen_of_iceni



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: But whatever, Fix-It, Not Romance, Spoilers, also kinda short chapters, also there is NOT enough holly in this, and i apologize for that, and some blatant favoritism, but aren't at least in the books, but im kinda proud of this fic anyway so im keeping it how it is, some issues i think need to be addressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25847233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_of_iceni/pseuds/queen_of_iceni
Summary: Things seem perfect for Artemis Fowl II and his friends, but they aren't. Their family is disjointed and not quite where it used to be, and Artemis is determined to fix it - using whatever means necessary.DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing. God, I wish I did. Then I could make artemis my bitch
Relationships: Angeline Fowl & Artemis Fowl II, Artemis Fowl II & Holly Short, Domovoi Butler & Artemis Fowl II
Comments: 28
Kudos: 46





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> i said short chapters in the tag, but since this is a prologue, it's really, really short. like 200 words short. but the other chapters are longer i can promise that :)

Artemis sat in his study, contemplating the scenery of Fowl Manor. He fiddled with the weapon in his hand, dangerous only in that it produced a flash of light and a sound so intense that no living creature could stay conscious when exposed. He wasn't unduly worried, since he had handled much more dangerous technology in much more precarious situations. His mind was elsewhere. 

Artemis thought about his latest conversation with one of the only friends he had, Captain - no, _Major_ \- Holly Short. She was, to say the least, miserable. Some days it was harder than others, and the people she had lost hit her hard in the gut. It was those days she talked to Artemis most. It consoled her to know that Artemis was someone she had not, and would not, lose. He was too clever, saving himself even after he had been dead for several weeks. Still, it was not enough. Holly wanted to see one person more than anything, and a single, very one-sided, video chat did almost nothing to erase her grief. Artemis wanted to change that. He knew he was one of the very few people who _could_ change that.

Artemis Fowl the Second was not your typical teenage boy. He was a genius, of course, but also a clone, a criminal, and, perhaps most importantly, a friend to the People. Unfortunately, all of those things in accordance (aside from being a clone, except that it was illegal) meant that he had a lot of enemies. _A lot_. Artemis' fairy enemies were either dead or jailed, so the protection he set up around his family was for humans only. This, as it turned out, was a mistake. A large mistake. 

Artemis Fowl did not make mistakes. 

Does that have bearing? Maybe. Maybe not. But if he planned this whole thing just for the end result, he would not only be a teenage, criminal, clone, genius friend of the People, he was also far more ruthless than any of his accomplices knew him to be. After all, who would almost expose an entire civilization for his own gain? Again?


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are not well in Fowl Manor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm just going to say that im a little in love w artemis/the idea of artemis so i make him kinda amazing in this story... but all the characters are super important to me so hopefully i do them justice

**Police Plaza**

Foaly chewed thoughtfully on a carrot. It was not the carrot that made him especially thoughtful, though he did like them a lot, but rather his best friend, Major Holly Short. She was, at the moment, standing outside the Ops Booth screaming at one of his underlings - most likely his nephew, since the boy was very easy to scream at. She was ordering him to let her into the booth, while he was weakly defending that he, in fact, did not have that capability. The only one who did was Foaly. Foaly finished chewing, swallowed, than opened the door to the booth. Holly appeared immediately, out of breath and fuming.

"What are you _doing_?" she demanded. "I have been standing out there for five minutes!"

"I was finishing my lunch," Foaly said defensively. "What's up, Holly?"

Holly rolled her eyes, "I'm heading above ground to meet a contact. I need some cam foil, and some info on Killarney."

"Meeting Artemis?"

"If I was, I'd go to Dublin," Holly said. "And no. I'm on duty, Foaly. This guy's a smuggler. I know, because he wants to sell me illegal goods. Now, get me that foil."

"One promotion and you start ordering me around almost as much as Root," Foaly regretted it the second he said it. Holly slumped, the fire in her eyes going out. "I'm sorry, Holly-"

"No, I'm sorry," she said, somewhat abashedly. "You're right, I shouldn't be ordering you around. I'm just so annoyed all the time. I need to get away. I'm hoping this surface time will help me out."

"Fly away from your problems?" Foaly raised an eyebrow. He was no psychologist, but he was pretty sure that it wouldn't help Holly much. She raised a defiant eyebrow and fingered her Neutrino. Foaly decided not to go on. "One cam foil coming right up."

He turned to order his nephew to go get it when the Ops Booth flashed a violent shade of red. A single message appeared on the warning box - 'Check Your Email.'

Holly jumped up, weapon out, "Who is it? Leftover Koboi tech?"

"I wish," Foaly muttered. "It's Fowl. He could've just called. He enjoys messing around in my tech. Show off. And please put your gun away, Holls. You're making the computers nervous."

"Right," Holly stowed her gun sheepishly. "What's he want?"

"Interesting," Foaly said, viewing the text the Mud Boy had sent him. "Very interesting."

" _What_ is interesting?" Holly leaned over his shoulder. "He wants you to trace a picture. No big deal. You've done that before."

"Only once, when Artemis couldn't do it himself," Foaly corrected. "To save his father from the Russian Mafia. If Artemis can't do it automatically, the sender's got good tech. And since Artemis sent this to me immediately instead of trying to figure it out himself... well he doesn't like to ask for help. So it means - "

"Trouble," Holly interrupted. "There's trouble in Fowl Manor."

Foaly nodded absentmindedly, before opening the video. After a few keystrokes, he broke through the firewall disabling tracing, but he was more worried about the content of the video. 

"Who is that?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"That's Angeline Fowl," Holly said, in horror. "Foaly, what's happening?"

Foaly amplified audio.

"You have two days to turn yourself over, Fowl," the voice that came from the video was robotic. "Or she dies."

Foaly's face went white. In all his time as tech consultant, he had never heard such a blunt threat, and, under the command of first Julius Root and now Trouble Kelp, he had been threatened enough times that they normally didn't scare him. Maybe it was the robotic voice, the emotionless promise, or the simple terms. Whatever it was, Foaly didn't even need to look at Holly to know that her arranged meeting with a smuggler was off. She was going to Fowl Manor.

"I'll go get your wings," Foaly said, standing up. "You tell Kelp where you're going."

Holly nodded, "Time to save our favorite Mud Boy."

Favorite Mud Boy. That was stretching it. Foaly looked at the video again, and imagined Artemis watching, his facade never breaking but his eyes narrowing a little with determination. No, Holly had been right. She wasn't stretching it at all.


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis sets a Plan into motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> umm... haha just realized that i was naming my chapters 'chapter one' 'chapter two' etc, but that function is already on... and bc of the prologue... its all messed up... but now im kinda attached so its STAYING that way

**Fowl Manor**

Her face had been so pale. Artemis' mother was often out of the house, so Artemis had not thought much of it when she had disappeared for a few hours. After a few more, Artemis had called his father (in town, in an extremely long, boring meeting) to see if he knew where she was. He didn't. Artemis began to worry.

Now, Artemis sat back, his eyes concentrated on his screen. An email from Foaly popped up at that exact second, with three words.

_Chicago. Holly's coming_

Artemis took a deep breath. His father was pacing in the room upstairs, trusting his son to take care of tracing the message. Though his father had returned long ago and had adjusted to life again, somehow Artemis had remained head of the Fowl Empire, though not in title. His father looked to _him_ for advice. It was not an unwelcome feeling, but sometimes Artemis wondered what it would be like to rely on someone else for a change. 

"Master Artemis?" Butler, though technically no longer in the employ of the Fowl's once Artemis had been declared legally dead, was still always by his side. "Has Foaly replied?"

"Yes," Artemis said, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "We have our target, Butler, and our backup."

"What will we tell your father?" Butler asked, not bothering to ask who the backup was or who the target was. The former he already knew, and the latter would be revealed to him all in due time.

"We must get him out of the house," Artemis said. "I have already sent him a false lead... something to do with a smuggler in Killarney. He'll be gone for the day - long enough for me to formulate a Plan."

Artemis didn't emphasize the word plan, but Butler gave it a capital letter in his mind anyway. He knew that smile, had seen it more times than anyone else in the world and had seen that smile bear fruition every single time.

"Three days," Butler said. "Enough time to call Beckett and Myles back from St. Moritz."

"No," Artemis replied. "They are safer out of the way. Inform Juliet of the situation and tell her to keep a close eye on the situation, but not tell the twins what is happening."

"Myles will figure out something is wrong," Butler said with an eyebrow raised. The younger Fowl could give Artemis a run for his money, though Artemis would, undoubtedly, outsmart him. Myles didn't have the ruthless streak, resources, or experience to outwit his brother. Butler also suspected that Artemis occasionally let his younger brother win at chess, since he made rookie mistakes that Artemis would never make.

"Good," Artemis nodded. "It will keep him occupied, hopefully until this situation is resolved."

Butler frowned. Fowl Manor had the highest security in the world, designed specially by Artemis. His charge was seemingly unconcerned with the fact that the manor had breached and made it out as though this would be a routine mission. Butler knew better than to question Artemis, but he could see the complex plan flickering behind Artemis' eyes. There was something more to this plan - something big.

Less than an hour, Artemis Fowl Sr was out of the house, and a slight shimmer in the air alerted Butler to Holly's presence. She nodded a greeting which he responded to warmly, but she noted that his eyes were tight. He led her to the study, where Artemis sat, eyes closed.

"Hello, Holly," Artemis said without looking at the two of them. "How are you?"

"Wonderful,"Holly said sarcastically. "I love the days when I have to pull rank to abandon my duties and save your ass."

"Technically, you didn't _have_ to," Artemis pointed out. "Now that you're here, I assume you have Foaly on the line?"

Foaly's only response was to snort in Holly's ear.

"So what's the plan, genius boy?" Holly asked, knowing full well that he had every detail worked out down to the letter. His reply astonished her.

"Simple," he steepled his fingers, leaning forward on his console. "I turn myself over."


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our villain plots, though not as well as our hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did not figure out how to change the chapter thing but i thought that i did so if the chapters are screwy please let me know

**Undisclosed Location in Chicago**

"Fowl won't turn himself in," Carla Frazetti predicted. "He's not stupid."

"He's not stupid - exactly," Jon Spiro responded. "That's what I'm counting on. He knows that his best chance of getting his mother out is to turn himself in with a prearranged plan for his escape. Luckily for us, I know what he'll try. His arrogance will be his downfall."

"As yours was?" Carla asked innocently. "We won't stand for more than one failure, Spiro."

Spiro's face sunk into a pouty glare, "Don't worry. I've got it covered."

Spiro had changed since his last encounter with Artemis Fowl. Prison could do that to a person. Once inside, he only had his muscle and brains to rely on. He was good at cutting deals, but without anything to bargain with, he became known as a punching bag. The only thing that had kept him going was imagining Fowl's face crumble, his facade break, as he lost everything. He assumed, quite correctly, that Fowl had various enemies. Once he allowed himself to be taken in by the Chicago Mafia (as though he had a choice; he was as down on his luck outside of prison as he was in it), he laid out his plans before the grunts. They were enthralled by him, and he managed to work his way to the top - almost. Carla had recognized him on site, though he had changed. He was smaller, more wiry, and his eyes held a hint of mania that he had managed to disguise before his arrest. They had grudgingly agreed to his plan, especially after he had introduced them to his special comrades. Speaking of...

"'Ey," Sergei shouldered his way into the room. Carla curled her nose in disgust and excused herself. Sergei and his band of dwarves tried to cover up the fact that they weren't human, but the occasional bug had been known to escape from a beard. "We're not in the circus anymore, Spiro. I want results."

"You'll get them," Spiro promised. He fingered the scar on his thumb. "I gave him a three day deadline. I'm expecting results within 24 hours."

"Fowl's slippery," Sergei muttered. "And he'll have the traitor with them."

The traitor. A dwarf who had turned against his own kind. Mulch Diggums or, as the Mafia knew him, Mo Digence. He had purposefully botched up the Fowl operation, and the Mafia wanted him gone as much as Spiro did. 

"Fowl thinks he has this thing in the bag," Spiro assured Sergei. "He thinks his knowledge of the People protects him. Well, he doesn't have a team of dwarves on his side. And, besides, how many favors can he call in from the LEP? For all we know, he's coming in with nothing but his brain."

"That's not nothing at all," Sergei frowned, plucking a stray beetle from the ground and popping it in his mouth. Spiro cringed. Disgusting creatures, fairies. He would be glad to be rid of them. But he agreed with Sergei's statement. Artemis Fowl was a formidable boy, and he knew it, too. Hopefully, his assurance of his victory was enough to rob him of that very thing.

Spiro thought of his escape from prison, and a familiar feeling of doubt crossed his mind. He grit his teeth. This was his chance for revenge. He would not let a vague memory of a mystery cloud his judgement. It was his time. And Artemis Fowl the Second was going to pay for his crimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you expect spiro to be the villain? i always liked it bc he's kind of like artemis, just not as smart and way meaner, so i thought it would be nice for them to go toe to toe with then ew and improved artemis


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis turns himself over, as he said he would. It's about the only promise he's going to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> artemis v jon spiro lets GO

**Millennium Park, Chicago**

Artemis stood quietly by himself next to the giant silver statue in Millennium Park. The park was mostly deserted, as it was four in the morning, but a few homeless lay on the benches, and one couple smoked on the steps, laughing softly together. 

"Artemis Fowl," a familiar voice said behind him. Artemis smirked.

"Spiro. What a surprise to find you here."

"No, it's not," Spiro said without question. "You knew it was me. You just didn't have a choice. Let's go."

"Mmm," Artemis didn't move. "How do I know you will release my mother? I can hardly rely on good faith from you, Mr. Spiro."

"You don't have any bargaining power, so you're gonna _have_ to rely on good faith," Spiro smirked.

"How eloquent," Artemis mused. However, for the purposes of appearances - "Quite correct, unfortunately. Well? Lead away."

The tranquilizer dart was not unexpected, but it was still uncomfortable. Artemis' last act before falling into darkness was to roll his eyes. He would have gone quietly. _How melodramatic._

He awoke in a cell. He glanced around, the iris cam buzzing in his eye. It quickly analyzed the room and the materials. It was, unsurprisingly, made entirely of metal and built on solid bedrock. Mulch would not be able to tunnel into this cell. He surveyed his surroundings with his own clear eye. He was on a cot in a completely bare room. The only lighting came from a fluorescent strip overhead. It was an expected setup, but it was colder than he had expected it to be. He resisted the urge to wrap the thin, cotton blanket around him. Currently, appearing strong was his best bet to getting out of this alive - with his mother.

"Awake, at last," Spiro growled. "It was easy enough to capture the great Artemis Fowl. Don't know why no one has been able to before this."

"Several people have been," Artemis remarked simply. "It's keeping me that is more difficult."

"Yes, yes, because of your association with the dwarf Mulch Diggums," Spiro's grin was gruesome in the harsh light. Artemis blinked. "That's right, Fowl. I know all about the dwarves. All about the People. I've rigged this place so no dwarf - including Diggums - can come in. And the rest of the People don't have my invitation. So let's talk on the assumption that you're not getting out."

"Very well," Artemis complied. "You have, as you yourself might say, rumbled my ace in the hole. I am more concerned with my mother's safety than with my own."

"Oh, we won't hurt her," Spiro promised. "But we're not letting her go just yet. How else will we get you to cooperate?"

"And what _exactly_ do you need my cooperation for?" Artemis asked through gritted teeth. His mother was still in custody. This did not exactly throw a wrench in his plans, but it proved once again how foul Spiro was. He didn't even keep his word.

"I'm glad you asked," Spiro said, with a grin. "I want entrance into Haven."

"And your remarkable companions cannot grant you access?" Artemis studied his nails. This morning, they had been perfectly manicured. Now his index finger was chipped. Irritating.

"How do you-?" Spiro paused. "Nevermind. They won't tell me, because they don't want me to know. As you can imagine, this is frustrating in an ally."

"I can imagine the frustration goes both ways," Artemis raised an eyebrow. "The six dwarves are happy to let me rot, but they will not betray their People. You need me to tell you where to go, thereby double crossing your companions and becoming the most powerful human being on the planet, aside from myself."

"I'll be _more_ powerful than you," Spiro folded his arms. "Because you'll be in _my_ power. So? Where is the entrance?"

"Do you honestly think I will tell you?" Artemis sighed. "I now have bargaining power, you see. And you have my mother. I want her safety in exchange for this information."

"Done," Spiro agreed. "Where is it?"

"You had already promised my mother's release in exchange for my person," Artemis said. "I do not trust your word in the slightest. No, I want proof of her release, and then I will tell you everything you need to know."

Spiro hesitated, "Then I won't have bargaining power."

"My life is in your hands," Artemis resisted the urge to groan. He had to spell out hostage etiquette for his own captor. "You have plenty."

Spiro grit his teeth. "I have to talk with my compatriots."

"The same ones you plan to betray?" Artemis observed.

"Yes, those. Well, kind of," Spiro shook his head, as though to clear confused thoughts. He must have quite a few of those. "Stay put. No funny business. And none of the People are allowed to enter this establishment."

Artemis said nothing in return. _We'll see about that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spiro knows about the People!! from sergei & the dwarves (they're in the Artemis Fowl Files)... i wonder how this will change the game - actually i don't i know exactly how this is gonna turn out haha


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis does not lead the prison break, which is rather unusual for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no!! artemis is captured and the People can't come to his rescue... or can they?? i bend fairy rules a little bit, but it feels accurate to me so i hope it will to you too.

**Ops Booth, Police Plaza and, of course, Said Undisclosed Location in Chicago**

"This is _not_ good," Foaly muttered, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "Spiro knows we exist. Holly?"

Holly's voice filtered over his speakers, uncharacteristically tight.

"Spiro has expressly ordered that none of the People can enter the building," she said. "Foaly, he knows about the people and their rules. He's like Artemis when Artemis was twelve. Just dumber, and not interested in gold."

"So, not at all like Artemis when he was twelve," Foaly said absentmindedly. "That was his whole personality."

"Can we focus on the fact that Master Artemis and Mrs. Fowl are both trapped in that hunk of metal they call a building?" Butler's voice flooded the booth. Foaly took a deep breath.

"Good news," he said. "Finally. The Chicago Mob owns the building, not Spiro. That means that any command of a mob member higher than Spiro overrides his orders. _Unfortunately,_ the only mob member in there with enough status is named Carla Frazetti. She's the mob boss' goddaughter, apparently. She's probably used to scare tactics."

"She's not used to mine," Butler growled. "I'm going in."

"Be careful," Holly warned. She was shielded, just outside the door, waiting for an invitation. "She might be more slippery than we accounted for. We don't know how much Frazetti knows. We didn't know Spiro knew, either."

"Artemis did," Foaly said grimly. "His heart rate stayed constant when Spiro revealed that he knew. Not even a jump."

"What is he not telling us?" Holly mused. Butler snorted over the earpieces. It came across as a rush of static.

"What is Artemis not telling us? It would be easier to figure out how to get a troll to hack a computer."

"Fair enough," Holly admitted. "You'd think he'd tell us something so important, though. He better have a plan."

"Artemis always has a plan," Butler said. He checked a window. He could break it, but he would prefer to deal with the mob boss' daughter alone. Instead, he quickly fed one of Mulch Diggum's hairs into the whole. Foaly had perfected using dwarf hair as lock picks after they had been out of the dwarf's head for a long period of time. He slid a bit of oil out from his jacket and oiled the hinges before sliding the window silently upwards. He struggled through the window, but even dragging his torso through, he was completely silent. This was what he was trained to do and, even at his age, he was the best at his job. 

"I'm in," he barely breathed the words, but he knew that Foaly's tech would carry the words all the way to downtown Haven. Sure enough, Foaly's voice crackled almost comically loud over his ear com.

"I have your position," he said. "The security room is two hallways down, third door on the left."

Butler made his way down the hall. He arrived there with hardly any interference. One grunt, probably patrolling, crossed his path, but he wouldn't awake for another hour and, when he did, he'd be in a supply closet and Artemis would be safely out of this prison. Once in the camera room, it took him a total of ten seconds to locate Carla Frazetti. She was two rooms away, surrounded by guards. Butler smiled, and in that moment he very much resembled his charge. They didn't stand a chance.

"I've heard of you," Carla said. Butler was impressed at her calm tone, seeing as she was dangling upside down in his hands. "Butler. Fowl's little guard. I'm surprised Spiro didn't think of you as a possibility."

"You have no loyalty to Spiro?" Butler asked suspiciously.

"None," Carla shrugged. "I'm here to 'oversee' him. I'm basically babysitting. Can't wait for this job to fail so we can finally kick him out. He's a pain in the ass."

"You wouldn't mind doing me a favor, then?" Butler resisted the urge to shake her a little. She had been instrumental in his death a few years earlier - she deserved a good shaking. But Butler was nothing if not a professional, and Carla remained un-shaken.

"I can't directly betray him," she said regretfully.

"You don't need to do that," Butler tilted his head. Carla raised her eyebrow, which looked amusing upside down.

"What do you have in mind?"

Holly heard the cry for help easily. It was shrieking, and pierced the night.

"I'm going in," Holly said. "If that's the mob boss' goddaughter, than even her less precise orders, such as a cry for help, might override Spiro's."

"Do it," Foaly said. "If you start to lose your magic, pull out. This is a gamble."

"Of course it is," Holly said, once safely inside and shielded. "But it's Artemis. In his gambles, he always comes out on top."

"He's in cell 183. Angeline's in 200," Foaly informed them. "Butler, you go for Angeline. There are only two guards there. Holly, you have a squadron to deal with."

Holly nearly laughed. It was pathetically easy. She had the Mud Boy in her arms and out of the building, covered in cam foil, before you could say Frond. She met Butler, carrying an unconscious Angeline.

"That was easy," she said, mouth downturned. "Too easy."

"Yes," Artemis agreed, straightening. "Ah, well. I suppose we will just have to take this at face value."

Holly and Butler exchanged looks. This was not like Artemis at all. Perhaps he was relieved to have his mother back. Or perhaps this was far from over.

Knowing Artemis, it was definitely the second option. Holly sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this the end of jon spiro's short lived victory?? no. no its not. well... you'll see


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis proves once again that he is a family man... sort of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) i hate artemis fowl sr w basically no basis and no i will not apologize for it... on the other hand i rlly like angeline even tho she isnt the best parent SHOUTOUT TO BUTLER FOR PRACTICALLY RAISING ARTEMIS

**Fowl Manor**

Artemis Fowl Sr paced his study. It was a new room, since his son had taken over his old one and his therapist warned him against taking it back. It was something about respecting boundaries Artemis had set for himself while his father was missing in order to slide as smoothly as possible back into his life. Artemis Sr wondered if he'd ever fit smoothly into his son's life.

His son was complicated, that was for sure. How he had managed to retrieve his mother within 24 hours of her kidnapping when Artemis Sr only had a video of her when he had left the house was unbelievable. But the worst part was that his son didn't trust him with how he did it. Artemis II barely shared anything with him anymore. All he knew about his son was what Angeline told him, and she barely knew anything as well. Sometimes he thought that no one knew his son, but then he would catch Butler and Artemis exchanging meaningful looks. At least one person knew what Artemis was doing.

Butler walked in, looking as professional as ever, but clearly on high alert. Maybe not _everything_ Artemis was doing. 

"Have you seen Artemis?" Artemis Sr asked. Butler nodded.

"In his study. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

Doesn't want to be disturbed. Artemis Sr hadn't seen his son since his mother got back. He took a deep breath.

"Well, he's not getting a choice-"

"Sir? I'm here for a reason," Butler interrupted. Artemis Sr froze. Of course. Why would Butler walk into his study without purpose? "You and Mrs. Fowl are to be moved to a safe location until the current threat is over."

"When?" Artemis Sr wondered aloud. His son was making plans in secret again. Butler raised an eyebrow.

"Now, sir."

" _Now_?" Artemis Sr looked aghast. "I'm afraid it cannot be done."

"Mrs. Fowl is already on the plane," Butler said. "Your bags have been packed. It is time for you to go."

"No," Artemis Sr refused point blank. "My son must give me a reason."

"I _must_ do nothing," Artemis appeared in the doorway. "Father, please. It is for your own safety. I will explain everything once you are underway."

"You're not coming?" Artemis Sr was momentarily thrown. 

"I have some other things that I need to take care of before I join you," Artemis took a deep breath. "But you must go or Mother will be alone."

Artemis Sr nearly took a step back. Manipulated by his own son? And for what?

"Arty, tell me what this is about?" Artemis Sr hoped that they nickname only he and Angeline were allowed to employ would soften his son. It didn't.

"Butler, please escort my father to the plane," Artemis closed his eyes and turned away. "Juliet, Beckett, and Myles will meet you in the assigned location. Butler and I will arrive shortly afterwards. I cannot take any chances after mother was taken from under my eyes."

"Artemis-" Artemis Sr tried to protest, but he knew he couldn't refuse. His wife was on the plane. If she trusted their son, so did he. He wished he could trust Artemis out of his own judgement. "Fine. I'm going. I hope you tell me what this is all about."

"Of course," Artemis acknowledged. Artemis Sr took a moment to study him. He was almost a carbon copy. The same suit, slim figure, dark hair, blue eyes as himself. Artemis' skin was paler, and his mouth slightly thinner. He seemed physically younger than 20 years old, and infinitely older when it came to his mind. When Artemis Sr had emerged from his two year coma, it was as though his son had transformed from a precocious adolescent into a dangerous young man. He wasn't used to it. From what he gathered from Angeline, she wasn't either. 

Artemis Sr entered the plane without trepidation. The windows were tinted, and he had a feeling they would stay that way. Artemis didn't want them to know where they were going.

_What is going on, Artemis? What are you planning?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway artemis fowl sr is gonna get dissed a lot. if that upsets you... it shouldn't. haha jk but not rlly ew i dont like him


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to take care of things the LEP way. Not the Fowl way. Artemis is not going to play them this time, Trouble will make sure of that (spoiler alert: no one can stop the Fowl way. it simply happens. Holly learned this long ago)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand what is artemis' big plan that every is so sure he has? rn everything seems to be proceeding smoothly

**St. Moritz, Switzerland**

Myles Fowl knew something was wrong and he was determined to find out what it was. Suddenly, Juliet had stopped letting them go to the ski slope alone and begun accompanying them. Neither Fowl twin minded for some reason they couldn't fathom, but it wasn't normal. Juliet was a terrible actress and she was constantly scanning their surroundings for threats. When Myles questioned her, though, she remained annoyingly reticent. 

Myles tried hacking Artemis' phone, but he simply could not figure out what language the protection was encoded in. His brother had created a whole language to protect his phone? He was so paranoid. That being said, Myles was trying to hack his phone at this exact moment, so perhaps Artemis' paranoia was justified.

When Juliet announced they were leaving the ski slope two days before their planned departure, Myles knew the ball was about to drop. He and Beckett followed her obediently to the car, but before stepping inside, Myles planted his feet.

"I'm not going in the car until you tell me where we are going," Myles proclaimed. Juliet promptly picked him up around the waist and unceremoniously tossed him inside the car. He frowned. If Artemis had made the same demand of Butler, the manservant would have told him. He would have to find another, more suitable, bodyguard. Then again, Artemis wouldn't have needed to ask, since he would undoubtedly be the one planning the excursion. 

Beckett didn't laugh at his twin's expense. Last time he had done that, his bug collection all mysteriously died. Instead, he helped him into a sitting position and demanded information. His brother laid out his suspicions, and Beckett sat back, thinking.

"Just trust him?" was Beckett's first suggestion. Myles rolled his eyes.

"He's hiding something enormous, Beck," Myles liked the word enormous. It was more elegant than 'big' or 'huge' and yet meant the same thing. Beckett did not have time for liking words. He used what he needed to use.

"Mama and Papa would tell us."

"I don't think they know," Myles sat back, pondering. "Juliet, will our parents be wherever we are going?"

"Yes, Myles," the long-suffering Juliet replied. "They'll be there. Thank Fro- God."

"Frog?" Beckett asked. "I found a pretty one last week in the garden."

Myles scrunched his nose. What had Juliet been about to say? And why did he feel as though it was very relevant to the situation at hand?

**Police Plaza, Haven**

"We have to wipe this Mud Man," Commander Trouble Kelp said immediately. Artemis sighed. He was, as always, the epitome of calm and in control, even as he parents were racing across the English Channel to Paris.

"Unfortunately, we must also wipe his associates," Artemis said. "Sergei and his band of five other dwarves. They are professional thieves and occasional circus performers. I've had one previous encounter with the dwarves when I stole the Fei Fei Diamond from them - with the assistance of Mulch of course.

"Wait - I was _on_ that case!" Holly interrupted. "Mulch wasn't a part of - oh. You kept his involvement a secret so that you wouldn't be wiped and framed the other dwarves."

"To be completely fair, they were planning on stealing the diamond for themselves," Artemis shrugged. "They were outsmarted at their own game. They deserved prison."

"So do you," Holly pointed out. 

"I'm too clever for prison," Artemis smiled - one of the few times it wasn't vampire-like. His genuine, happy smiles, he tried to keep to himself, though Holly and sometimes Foaly or Mulch managed to surprise a few out of him.

"But they hate you," Butler brought them back to the point. "Meaning they want to see you gone, or at least out of the way."

"That's not our problem," Trouble said, arms folded. It wasn't that he didn't respect the Mud Boy, but they couldn't be responsible for every time something went wrong in his life. He could deal with the messes he created. Frond knew he was more than equipped to handle a few dwarves, especially since he knew all of them.

"Actually, it is," Artemis disagreed. "The dwarves need Spiro's resources. He's their in for the Mafia. They would just find him and tell him about the People again. We need those dwarves out of commission. Then we can wipe Spiro."

"We," Foaly grunted. "I'll be doing most of the grunt work."

"If you can count sitting behind your computers and typing away grunt work," Holly grinned. "What are we waiting for, then? It's a routine Recon mission."

"With Fowl?" Foaly smirked. "Not likely."

Artemis shot him what he hoped was a hurt look. But Foaly was right. This mission was going to be far from routine if he had anything to say about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive always wanted holly to know abt artemis' involvement w the fei fei diamond. at this point, shes never mad at his previous schemes bc she'd waste all her time being angry. her state of being is more perpetually exasperated


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis' parents meet the fairies and act how you would expect them to, considering Angeline already knows and I hate Artemis Fowl Sr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like i said, fair warning, i like angeline and i don't like artemis fowl sr.

**Shute E37, Underground**

"Where are we?" was Timmy's first question. Angeline shook her head. She had long ago given up questioning her son, although her knowledge of the fairy People might make her a little less inquisitive than her husband. They had met up with Juliet, Beckett, and Myles in Paris, France, and then been escorted by Juliet into the shuttle. Angeline had caught a faint shimmer in the air following them, and knew their every move was being watched. Juliet had administered the sedative through water, which Timmy only drank because Angeline urged him to - she had had a feeling it was part of the Plan. 

She and Butler had very few discussions, but one was about a deal that said if Artemis ever began scheming a capital p Plan, Butler would tell her about it. This, however, was the last place she expected to be. Under the earth. In Haven. Artemis was revealing the fairies to his father, and siblings and, if the faint shimmer in the air was an indicator, the fairies were okay with it.

"You are in Shute E37, one end of which connects to Paris, France, the other of which connects to Haven," Arty approached the group, his accent and suit as polished as ever. Angeline smiled.

"Arty," she embraced her son, which he returned, albeit stiffly. "I'm glad you're with us."

"I will not be for much longer," Artemis said but, before he could go on, her husband interrupted him. Angeline winced. Her son did not like being interrupted, even by his own father.

"Arty, I trust you, but you must explain what is going on," he insisted. "My head feels as though its about to explode."

"Clearly you do not trust me all that much, then," Artemis sighed. "Very well. We are underground. For millennia, there has been an entire civilization under the earth's crust that are so far ahead of us technologically that they have managed to conceal themselves from us. By us, I mean humans. These people are fairies, with magic, though the magic has its limits and, of course, they are nothing like the fairytales of old."

"What are they like then?" Timmy, for the moment, was placated. "Will we get to see one?"

"Sure," the fairy unshielded. Angeline recognized her. She frowned for a moment, trying to put a name to the face.

"This, father, is Major Holly Short," Artemis explained. Angeline smiled in triumph. This was the fairy who had saved her life, along with so many others. She was also, if memory served, one of Artemis' only friends. At the moment, she looked far from happy with him.

"Major? Don't we get a higher official?" Timmy frowned. Angeline, who was a very peaceful and moral woman, wanted to smack him.

"No, you get me, because I'm damn good at my job and apparently I always get stuck with the Fowl cases," Major Short snapped. "Artemis, hurry up. I have to go."

"Yes, yes, sorry, Holly."

"Be kinder to my son," Timmy said sharply. "He is a multi-millionaire-"

"Billionaire," Artemis corrected absentmindedly. "But Holly is quite correct and has every reason to be rude to me. Father, I will explain everything else later but, for now, you must know that you, Mother, Beckett, and Myles are in grave danger. You will be taken to Police Plaza the center of operations, by none other than Miss Short, and you will treat her with the same respect you would me."

"Same respect he would give you?" Major Short raised an eyebrow. "This is your father, isn't it?"

It was a rhetorical question. Angeline vaguely remembered Artemis describing Holly rescuing Timmy from the Arctic. Holly would remember his face.

"Arty, why are we here? What is such a threat to us that you risk this entire civilization?" Angeline questioned. Her son softened. Timmy closed his eyes. Angeline knew what was going on inside her husband's head. Angeline always asked the right questions, and Timmy always asked the wrong ones. Artemis' involvement in his parents lives had been spotty at best - actually, his parent's involvement in his life had been spotty at best - but he had always been a Mummy's Boy. 

"Jon Spiro is free from prison," Artemis said. "He wants to take over the fairy People, and his associates want revenge on me. They will take it through whatever means necessary, including capturing you, Mother. This is the safest place for you. The People care about your safety because, unfortunately, both you and Father know how to get into my bank accounts and my vaults. There is... valuable information in those facilities. I cannot take any chances that you could accidentally hit on the right code to my more secret accounts since you know me so well."

"If all goes well, we'll wipe you and you won't remember a thing," Major Short said cheerfully. "I'll explain everything on the way to Police Plaza."

"You're not coming?" Angeline directed an imploring gaze at her son. He lowered his eyes.

"I will stay with Foaly to set up a temporary Operations Booth in this shuttle," Artemis said, his eyes still trained on the ground. "Holly will take you to Police Plaza, then return here. She will retrieve Jon Spiro and his dwarves, we will wipe their memories, and - hopefully - yours, and then everything will return to normal."

"Mind wipe?" Timmy was flabbergasted. Even Myles, who usually intervened at inappropriate moments, was silent trying to digest all the new information being thrown at him. Surprisingly, it was Beckett who spoke. Angeline shared a look with Juliet. He was well on his way to becoming a bodyguard himself.

"We should go with Miss Short," he said, his voice high pitched but firm. "Arty knows what he's doin' and we should trust him, and the pretty elf."

Major Short smiled, "I like this Fowl. What happened to the rest of you?"

She smirked at Artemis, and Angeline realized that she was jesting with him. Yes, friends. Of that she was sure.

"Let's go, then," Angeline said bravely, stepping forward. "Timmy, if you have any more questions, I'm sure Major Short will answer them on the way over - or not."

The two woman nodded at each other. Timmy glared one last time at his eldest son, who avoided his gaze completely by striding away. Not even a goodbye. Angeline sighed. She loved her son, but his relationship with his father seemed to be slipping away everyday. Right now, though, she had bigger things to worry about - namely, the minuscule van Holly was gesturing for them to get into.

At least life with her son was never boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why did i bring them down to Haven, you might ask?? you will find out. and no, it has pretty much nothing to do with the actual plot.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly has some words with some Fowls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i told you i hate him. i do. im sorry i took so long posting too haha. i'll do two today to make up for it :)

**Police Plaza, Haven**

Holly was irritated with Artemis. For the first time in her life, it wasn't Artemis the Second that annoyed her, but Artemis Sr. He asked her every question that he could possibly think of, and the only thing that kept her from strangling him was his wife, who intervened as often as she could. Holly decided that she liked Angeline Fowl. Beckett, the blonde twin, was wide eyed with amazement at the surroundings, and Myles was also silent, though that worried Holly slightly. That was the type of silence that Artemis engaged in before he formed a Plan.

"How do you know Artemis?" Artemis Sr asked.

"Hm," Holly pretended to think about it. "Well, first, he kidnapped me to ransom gold. Then, he made a deal with me and my... former commander... to save you in exchange for a little bit of help. He inadvertently helped save Haven from a rebellion. Then, he nearly destroyed us again by almost revealing us to Jon Spiro. After that, he saved us when an evil genius name Opal Koboi took over the city. Then-"

"I understand," Artemis Sr said sulkily. "You know each other well."

"Kidnapped you?" Angeline said horrified. "When?"

"When you were... ah... unwell," Holly said cautiously. "I healed your depression for half the ransom gold back."

"Artemis traded gold for me?" Angeline mused. Holly rolled her eyes. As if that were such an accomplishment. But she couldn't help but think fondly of Artemis now. After everything they'd been through, Holly didn't even hesitate to call him a friend, albeit a friend who was constantly dragging her into danger.

"Artemis kept a whole civilization from me?" Artemis Sr's thoughts were less nostalgic. "A whole part of his life?"

"It wasn't his secret to tell," Holly defended him. 

"That's all very well for you to say," Artemis Sr snapped. "You don't know my son. He could've told me. He _should've_ told me."

" _I_ don't know your son?" Holly laughed incredulously. "I don't know what fantasy world you are living in, Mr. Fowl, but I know your son better than almost anyone on this earth or under it. And from what I know of you, you're not the greatest father in the world."

"What are you talking about?" Artemis Sr demanded, and Holly was happy to oblige. Now that she had started, she couldn't seem to stop. All her resentment for the man came bubbling to the surface - grudges she didn't know she harbored.

" _You_ introduced Artemis to his criminal ways and hardened his heart to compassion," Holly was seething now. "You think the worst thing you did was going missing for two years? No. Even when you were raising Artemis, you were a bad influence. Not having you in his life was the best thing for Artemis. He got to learn from proper role models - like his mother, and Butler, and _me_. 

He's still a criminal and maybe he always will be. I've accepted that. I, Frond help me _, like_ that about him. But now he's a good person, too, and you have nothing to do with that. You walk around like you still know him, like you own him. He's twice the man you'll ever be, and he doesn't even show how much you grate on him! 

He disappears and the first thing you do is have more children to replace him - you were probably hoping they were normal. You rely on him for everything, but you never take the time to get to know him because it's too much damn work for you. So, yeah I know your son. And you don't. If you're not okay with that, you can get the hell out of my car and walk back and _tell him yourself_!"

Holly broke off, breathing heavily. It was lucky that traffic was clearer today, or else she probably would've crashed. There was complete silence in the car. Foaly whistled over the com.

"Nice to get it out of your system?"

Holly groaned, "Tell me you weren't recording that."

"Of course I was!" Foaly said gleefully. "I'm gonna play it when I'm feeling sad. Probably send it to Artemis to."

Holly banged her head against the dashboard, "I don't know what came over me."

"I do," Foaly said. "You were defending your friends. It's what you do, Holly."

Holly was strangely touched, "Thanks, Foaly. Don't share that with the Council, please."

"It's our secret," Holly swore she could _hear_ Foaly wink. "Anyway, Holls, I think you scared the Mud Man into compliance. You're almost here, so get ready to be briefed by Trouble."

"Trouble is our commander," Holly explained to the Fowls in completely normal tones. She chanced a glance at her passengers after her outburst. Myles looked a little disdainful, while Beckett looked shocked. Juliet was smirking. She had probably wanted to say the same thing for a while but was afraid of retaliation. Artemis Sr was stonily silent, but his wife looked thoughtful, and maybe a little sad.

Yeah. She liked Angeline Fowl, alright. Artemis Sr was a totally different story. Once this mission was over, this conversation would be wiped from his mind, but Holly found herself wishing that it wasn't. Someone had to teach this Mud Man how to handle Artemis. Or, rather, how to be handled by Artemis.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Spiro wins another small victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...or does he???

**Tristan Da Cunha, British Overseas Territory**

Jon Spiro pounded the ship's railing with his clenched fist. At his side, Emilio Hart glared across the waters. This new bodyguard had been Spiro's first acquisition with the money the Mob had given him. Sure, Angeline Fowl had gotten away, which wasn't part of his plan, but he didn't need her anymore, anyway. He had gotten what he wanted. The mob quite agreed with his assessment, and had even generously provided him with tickets to exactly where he wanted to go. Unfortunately, it was not in the style he was used to. Even after prison, Spiro was still a snob.

Tristan Da Cunha was far off the coast of Cape Town, and only three ships visited the place every year. He had to wait all of three hours before he was deposited on the lowest deck of a ship crammed with supplies, tourists, and a horrible smell of fish. He couldn't wait to get off.

"Can't this piece of junk go any faster?" Spiro muttered under his breath. Hart didn't reply. He was the polar opposite of Spiro's last bodyguard, Arno Blunt, who was still in prison and wanted to remain there (something about a ghost?). Hart was big, and that was as far as the similarities went. He was dressed in casual clothing, his light brown hair was cut close to his head, and his skin was free of ink or piercing. He stood at a respectful distance and never spoke at all, not even to give advice. If Spiro spoke aloud, he felt like he was talking to himself. He might even miss Blunt, in a twisted, I-wish-I-could-order-him-around sort of way. But Hart was the best, aside from the Butlers, and Spiro needed the best on his team, his personal feelings aside.

Finally, the boat came to a stop on the island. Spiro and Hart were off the ship within the minute, ignoring the protests of the tourists they had shoved aside. An hour later, they were climbing to the top of a mountain, and Spiro was beginning to regret demanding he come himself. Of course, Fowl wouldn't have to climb to access his remote safe. He would just use LEP technology to _fly_ himself over there - or order Butler to get it for him. Spiro cursed the boy again, then caught himself. He was finally one step ahead of Artemis Fowl, and he had the boy's mother to thank for it. His scowl turned into a grin.

The grin only widened when he realized they'd reached their destination. There, under a carving of a dragonfly, was a small trapdoor carved into the mountain. Spiro punched in the code - which he also knew, courtesy of Angeline Fowl - and the door swung open without a hitch. Inside was a wealth of technology. Spiro knew instinctively he had hit jackpot.

LEP tech. With it, Artemis Fowl had risen to the top of every game. And now Spiro was about to possess it, and Fowl would be left empty-handed. Spiro doubted he would be able to get more, as the People probably hated him. This technology had saved Artemis Fowl every time - had outsmarted Spiro himself - and now it was _his_. He would take over the goddamn world, and then everything under it. 

If Spiro had stopped to consider his surroundings, he may have been suspicious. If Hart had done his research on Fowl, he might have had second thoughts. But both were blinded by greed and excited by their find. They didn't think about the fact that Angeline Fowl should have no knowledge of Artemis' secret safe. They didn't wonder why Artemis had protected his treasure trove with only a boat ride, a mountain climb, and a lock. They thought it was difficult enough that they had outsmarted Artemis Fowl the Second.

**Shute E37**

Underestimating him again. Artemis smiled his vampire smile as he closed the video feed. Foaly would be arriving soon, and the centaur didn't need to know what was about to happen. The LEP didn't need to know what was about to happen. No one did. That was just the way he liked it.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergei stops being an issue.

**United Center, Chicago**

Sergei liked performing. His fellow dwarves - Adan, Ailbhe, Bartt, Carrick, Stiks, and Halle - liked it less than he did, but he was the ring leader and, of course, it came with perks. The perks were money, and Sergei had never led them wrong... until the Fei Fei Diamond case of course. In all fairness to his team, they stuck together, and, with a good lawyer (money really did wonders, even in Haven) were able to get off with less than a decade of jail time, which was like the blink of an eye. The second they were out, they wanted revenge, and Fate's hand guided them to Jon Spiro, a Mud Man as crazed for revenge as they were.

He introduced them to the Chicago Mob and, while they weren't technically affiliated, Sergei found he didn't mind the cushion of having a group behind him that had a lot of resources.

"Showtime," Ailbhe ducked in and then out. She hadn't spent much time in the same room as him when he asked her to be his mate, then accidentally let out a burst of gas. Tantamount to bullying in the dwarf world (mocking her), it had taken their long years of friendship and several apologies and wads of cash to convince her to stay. Even now, Sergei regretted that day. He found Ailbhe a very attractive female and he had forever ruined his chances with her. Stupid bowels. He bet Mulch Diggums never lost control of his gut. He wanted to punch that dwarf's face in. Now, however, he had more pressing matters.

They performed easily, since Sergei had put several layers of dirt between the floor of the stadium and the stage on which they performed. After the show, he headed back to the room with his companions, all of them laughing and joking easily. He was ready for a nice, slow night and a mud bath.

Alas, it was not to be. The second he was in the room - as the leader, he always filed in last - the barrel of a Neutrino pressed against his head. He went cross-eyes looking at it. The LEP officer unshielded, and he recognized it was the one who had booked him before. Littleton? Small?

"Remember me?" she taunted. Short. That was it.

"Captain Short," Sergei swallowed. This had not been part of Spiro's plan. "How nice to see you."

"Major," Short snapped. "And I can't return the sentiment. It's time to get your hairy behinds back to Police Plaza, where you can explain why you were selling fairy secrets to the council. They're even less happy with you than I am."

Sergei swallowed. They could take her, but then Retrieval would just come and force them to Haven. If he wanted to leave on his own terms, he had to do it now. He nodded nervously. His gang was watching him apprehensively, and, at his cowardice, collectively turned ashamed heads away from him. Sergei lowered his eyes. He was losing them, he could tell. Spiro better know what he was doing.

Speaking of, Sergei surreptitiously plucked a hair out of his back and shaped it into a clover. He dropped it on the ground. If Spiro found it, he would know the fairies took him, as the clover was the symbol of the council. It wasn't a perfect plan, or even a good one, but it was better than leaving after doing nothing at all.

"We'll go quietly," Sergei mumbled. Holly smirked. He hadn't realized how scary an elf's expression could be before now.

"Oh, I know," she said. Less than a second later, a tranquilizer dart hit him and he found himself sinking into a restless sleep. 

Spiro better pull through. If not, he was a dead man. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk i kinda wanted to give the other dwarves personalities, but felt it didn't fit the chapter much. now it feels like a wasted opportunity :(


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go after Spiro.

**Shute E37**

"My team's wiped the dwarves," Foaly announced. "It's go-time."

"Great," Holly grabbed her Neutrino. "I'm going to wipe Spiro. Fowl, you think everything's okay to go?"

Artemis nodded, but he didn't meet her eyes. Maybe he had found out about her explosion at his father. Or maybe he was hiding something. Damn the boy.

Holly was strapped in the shuttle in the next second. She was ready to _fly_. She adjusted the controls, and waited for Foaly's voice to guide her. Artemis had insisted they set up an Ops Booth somewhere other than Police Plaza so that, if Jon Spiro managed to target Foaly's signal ('impossible' according to the centaur), it wouldn't lead directly to the heart of fairy civilization. Shute E37 was as good a place as any. N°5 had showed up to watch the antics and keep an eye on the proceedings as well. Holly wasn't entirely sure what he was doing here, but Artemis elected to allow him to stay, so he stayed. 

"Alright, Holls, ETA of the next hot flare is T-minus 1.8 seconds," Foaly said into her earpiece. Holly nodded, her hands tightening around the joysticks. 1.79 seconds later, she felt the magma engulf her and send her skyrocketing. She fought to keep control of the shuttle and, finally making it out of the molten rock, was buoyed aboveground by a gentle, hot wind. She landed in the terminal which was still out of commission. There were a few cameras and wires left over from where they had filmed the Artemis Fowl movie, but, other than that, the terminal was empty.

"I'm out," Holly said. "Trouble gave the all clear?"

"That's _Commander_ to you," Trouble said, snickering. "And, yeah. Go ahead and get the Mud Man."

**Chicago, Illinois**

Holly adored flying. She sped across the Atlantic, enjoying the wind whipping through her hair (well, around her helmet - close enough) and the spray of the ocean on her toes (again, regulation boots). She chatted with the sea life, which was pretty depressing, but she always enjoyed a good fly. After a few hours, she reached the North American mainland. After shielding, she headed for Chicago. This long flight felt unnecessary, as she could have just used a shuttle closer to Chicago, but Artemis insisted on using E37. He said that Spiro wouldn't expect it, and was probably having someone patrol the city for any incoming fairy. Holly thought that Artemis was overestimating Spiro, but she didn't question him. He certainly had ulterior motives, but she just had to trust they were for the best.

"Jon Spiro is in the building highlighted in red," Foaly informed her. "It's an abandoned warehouse. Be careful, we aren't getting any readings on it."

"It's fooled your sensors?" Holly asked. She wasn't mocking him. Someone fooling Foaly's sensors was troubling. Foaly whinnied.

"I"m looking into it, Holly," Artemis' Irish tones filtered through her earpiece. She took a deep breath. Going in blind into what was almost definitely a hostile situation. Just what she wanted out of life.

She peered into a window. The entire warehouse was dark and empty, except for a sprinkler system lining the ceiling and a giant metal cell in the middle of the room. A light was on in the metal box. Holly used an Omnitool to unlock the door, then crept inside. She felt no nausea, so no one owned this place. Interesting. With Spiro's knowledge of the people, he should've taken that precaution. She turned on the helmet's sensors for traps, but there was absolutely nothing.

"I'm definitely walking into an ambush," Holly breathed into her mic. "But I can't tell how."

"Keep going," Artemis urged. "You have the superior technology. He cannot overcome you."

"I'm not sure about that," Holly said. "He blocked Foaly's sensors."

"You don't have much choice," Trouble spoke now. "Go in, Holly. Just be careful."

Holly crept forward, inching her way towards the metal box. Her senses were on high alert, but there was _nothing_ moving at all. She felt like every drop of blood in her body was pounding against her skin. Her breath was far too loud. She tried to calm herself, but the anticipation was threatening to break her resolve. Finally, she arrived at the door to the cell. It slid open.

"Well, well, little fairy," Jon Spiro was waiting inside. "I was wondering when you'd turn up."

Holly was wondering how he could see through his shield. Unless... it wasn't possible. Spiro held a gun - no, a Neutrino. Holly's eyes widened, a second before the sprinklers turned on. Only, they didn't dump water on her. No - buckets of animal fat slopped onto Holly's body, sending her reeling and blocking her magic. It was a simple matter for Spiro to shoot her with a Neutrino.

"Now, you're mine, little fairy," Spiro muttered. "And I won't be holding hostages."

He switched his weapon to a gun, lethal to any fairy or any _one_ for that matter. He briefly took aim at Holly's heart, and fired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok yes, its a bit of a cliffhanger, but i can't help it. this is the perfect place to end a chapter... and also... is this part of artemis' plan?????? i sure hope not bc who would allow their best friend to be killed??


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis' plan begins to unfold

**Shute E37**

The screens went black. Foaly stared at them for a second, uncomprehending. Then, his brain caught up to events.

"They died," Foaly muttered. "My computers don't die. Not even Opal Koboi could shut them down. This isn't possible. This isn't..."

He was rambling, Artemis knew, to avoid the inevitable truth. Holly had been shot, point-blank with a handgun. No one survived that.

"It wouldn't have happened if we were in the Ops Booth," Foaly continued. He turned an accusatory glare on Artemis. "This was _your_ idea, Mud Boy. And now Holly is-"

Foaly broke off, his words caught in his mouth. He choked, "Oh Frond. It's like Julius all over again."

 _Exactly_ , Artemis thought with smug satisfaction.

"No," he announced. Foaly turned to him, along with Trouble and N°1, who were frozen into silence. _Not Holly, not Holly, not Holly._ "It won't end like this."

"Do you have a contingency plan?" Foaly asked desperately. "Fairy flowers and a clone hanging around?"

Trouble was too shocked to even comment on the 'clone' bit.

"Oh, Frond, she's _dead_?"

"We don't have proof of that," Artemis said quickly. "Foaly's computers shorted out, or were purposely blocked."

"Yeah, by Spiro," Foaly said glumly. "To cover up his murder of... _Fowl, do something!_ "

They were all staring at him, the people who loved Holly most gathered in one spot, horrified by the news, with the exception, maybe, of Butler. Artemis could feel the news sinking into his skin. He had planned for every step of the way and, yet, if his plan failed, he had killed his closest friend. If she was dead... he couldn't think of it. He turned to N°1.

"If she's dead, she's dead," Artemis said. "In which case, we will have to save her in an unconventional method."

"You can't bring people back to life," Trouble said. "Even with magic, by the time we reach her it'll be too late."

"Unless we make it earlier," Foaly caught on to Artemis' meaning, probably because he had been an integral part of a similar scheme a couple of years earlier. "And we happen to have just the warlock for it."

"That's complex magic," N°1 protested. "I don't know if I can do it."

"You did it before," Artemis pointed out, then paused and added in a softer voice. "It's Holly, N°1. We have to try. _You_ have to try."

It was the closest to an inspirational speech that Artemis had ever given, and it seemed to do the trick. 

"Hold on," Trouble held up his hands. "What's going on?"

Artemis was struck, suddenly, by a vision of Root doing the exact same thing, except he was yelling and his face was a nauseating shade of puce. 

"I'm going to send Artemis back in time," N°1 explained. Foaly and Artemis' faces transformed with relief. "I will stand here and be a pillar that Artemis can travel back to. Artemis, you have to concentrate on the time when you want to go back."

"When Spiro is in jail," Artemis said immediately. "After I was mind-wiped, and as close as possible to when I regained my memory, so Spiro will lose hope of rescue. I can fortify the jail so that he cannot escape."

"If Spiro doesn't escape, a lot of events change," Foaly pointed out. "Is it worth the risk?"

Nobody answered the question. This was Holly's life. It was worth the risk.

"I'll need some technology - and quickly," Artemis said.

"We'll send some after you once you come back," Foaly said. "Like we did before."

Artemis nodded, "It's a hasty plan, but I think it will work."

He stripped and, for once, Foaly didn't offer a sarcastic comment. The thought of a life without Holly had dried up his well of witty retorts. The process was exactly the same as the last time, only there were no jokes and no hesitations. They were doing this to save Holly and it had to be done now - or else none of them would be able to live with themselves. 

Foaly would've given his left hoof to have his commander there, barking orders and making them all feel like soldiers. He was dangerously close to falling apart without his commander there to boss him around. If he lost Holly, he wouldn't be able to move on. That's all he knew.

N°1 opened the portal, a swirl of multicolored lights that looked dangerous and hopeful all at once.

"Make sure to go in a week in July. No one was in this shute except a couple of surveillance fairies and they won't bother you with Trouble's clearance," Foaly said. Trouble handed over his acorns reluctantly.

"Bring those back safely," he said. "And, Fowl? Stick to the plan. Please."

And there it was, Foaly thought. The key difference between Root and Trouble. Root would never say please. And he would know that Artemis wouldn't listen either way. Trouble actually trusted the Mud Boy. Foaly trusted him too, of course, he just didn't trust that Artemis was going to do as he said. He never did. Artemis nodded curtly.

"When will he be back?" Trouble asked, moments after Artemis disappeared through the portal.

"A few seconds," Foaly answered for N°1, who was concentrating. "For him it will be a while, but for us - N°1?"

The warlock's face was screwed with focus. Beads of sweat formed on his little, wrinkled head. Foaly knew, instinctively, that something was wrong. He bit the inside of his cheek. He knew he couldn't do a Fronds-be-damned thing. This wasn't technology, it was pure magic. He could only pray, and he wasn't the praying type.

He bowed his head.

Then, Artemis collapsed through the portal. But someone was in tow. Foaly's mouth dropped open. There was _no_ way.

D'Arvit. The Council was going to kill them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did i manage to leave the last cliffhanger unresolved and then add another one you may ask?? well let me just tell you that takes a certain amount of skill called doubting yourself/is this too much/is it possible that no one is going to understand the ending to this story but me
> 
> anyway, all will be explained, rest assured


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis goes into the time portal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to be clear: this chapter is what happened to artemis inside the time portal, so you don't know who he brought back with him yet... in present day, all this occurs within a few seconds. inside the time portal it's about two chapters :)

**Shute E37, some time in the past**

Artemis stepped into the portal and was immediately swirled away, his thoughts becoming a jumble of incoherent threads. He wasn't used to this. His mind was his oldest ally, and now it was being ripped away.

 _Holly,_ he thought. _Concentrate on Holly, and why you are doing this. You are Artemis Fowl the Second. You will bow to no one, not even death. You will save Holly and carry out your plan._

He focused hard on the time he needed to arrive. He had to be precise, which was difficult when your thoughts were nothing more than a swirling, soupy mess. He was not thinking of a quiet week in July. If all went according to plan, he would be landing at a very busy time indeed. 

He was spewed from the time stream and tumbled to the ground. He heard shouting in the tunnel ahead. Voices he recognized. One he hadn't heard in a very long time. He nearly smiled. He had done it! He had come to the right time. 

Ordinarily, he would have been embarrassed by his lack of clothing, but right now, he didn't have time. Behind him, an elaborate set-up of technology appeared. He had ordered Foaly's best, and he had received. He quickly turned the system on and detected a transmitter in the air. Foaly had continued to upgrade his systems over the years. While he and Opal Koboi had been neck in neck for the leading technology when she was alive, ever since her imprisonment after the Zito drill incident, he had made leaps and bounds ahead of her since she hadn't been able to develop tech from jail. 

That being said, Artemis could hack Opal's signal with relative ease. If he disabled it, though, it would be very obvious to all parties involved. It was one thing to change the course of Jon Spiro's life, and quite another to mess with Opal's. She was far more dangerous, and more likely to adapt to him and potentially kill him, or Holly. Then they would be back to square one.

He instead set up a three second lag on Opal's message. He would have three seconds to perform the most dangerous maneuver of a lifetime. If he failed, this whole plan would have been for nothing. He took a deep breath.

"One minute to live Commander. How does that feel?" Opal crooned over the speakers. Luckily, Artemis had managed to start Root's timer three seconds earlier than the bomb was supposed to go off. He took a deep breath to center himself, and fingered the acorn nut in his pocket.

He hadn't been part of this scene years ago. He had been on the surface, stealing _The Fairy Thief_. This was the moment when Opal had framed Holly for Root's murder. Artemis grit his teeth and moved closer to the scene. Somehow, he needed a non-fatal explosion three seconds earlier than the definitely fatal explosion that Opal had planned. He took a flash bomb from his pocket. He had constructed it earlier - it let off an explosion of noise and light that could potentially blind a person, but would do no damage in the long run.

He set the time on the flash bomb to match the timer on Root's chest. He then inched in closer to the scene. He was coming through the only exit - the chute. Root was farther from him than Holly. This _would_ be an issue, except that Artemis had come prepared. He draped cam foil over himself, guessing correctly that Holly and Root would be too preoccupied to notice a shimmer moving around the room. He snuck up behind Root and threw the flash bomb between Holly and Root. It lay there silently ticking. He then widened a fissure in the wall with rock polish that Mulch Diggums had so kindly lent him. It successfully created a little cove that could shelter Root and himself from the actual explosion if they squeezed. Opal was still monologuing, but he tuned her out, focusing on the contraption on Root's chest. He had figured out how to disable it in under three seconds long before he had set his plan into motion.

He had _not,_ however, counted on the sweat running down his fingers. It was hot down here - not to mention the stress that threatened to overwhelm him. If he failed, Root would die. Permanently. Not to mention that he would probably also die. 

"Who? Who can I save?" the conversation had moved on without Artemis, and now Holly was demanding answers of Opal. Typical of Holly - brazen till the last. Artemis squeezed his eyes shut for an instant. She would be okay. She had to be. 

"Oh, no one important. Just a couple of Mud Men," was Opal's vague reply. Of course, that was referring to Artemis himself, along with Butler. Artemis inserted the sponge earplugs that he and Butler had used with sonic bombs so many times. They would protect him from the sound of the explosion of the flash bomb he had created. He also pulled a couple tools from his pocket, including the remaining rock polish and a cable to cut the wires. Who would've thought human technology would be the failing feature on Opal's nearly impenetrable bomb that was currently strapped to Commander Root's chest? But if you could open the surface without an explosion, or prying the lid from the hinges (courtesy of the rock polish) all you had to do was snap a wire and the bomb would be disabled.

Of course, the three second time limit did make this operation seem a whole lot harder. 

"Go and save Artemis. That's the last command I'll ever give you, Captain. Don't you dare ignore it," Root was on his knees, dying in front of Artemis' eyes, but he seemed strangely calm. Artemis felt something well up in him that he hadn't before. Respect, of course, but something else as well that he couldn't quite name. All along he grieved Root's loss for Holly's sake, but never quite for his own. Now, as he watched the dying commander, he thought of the risks Root had taken for Artemis. He grit his teeth. Now was no time to get distracted by emotions. 

He watched Holly fire, watched the countdown get faster. There was no sweet spot. There never had been. Now it looked as though Holly had shot her commander, and they all knew how that turned out.

The timer was still counting down. Root was staring in Holly's eyes now, but Artemis was behind him and couldn't see his expression. All her could see was Holly's tragic desperation for a commander she wouldn't save.

"Be well," Root said. His timer stopped. Artemis' flash bomb exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes yes you may be able to see where this is going. if any of these is confusing PLEASE lmk!!! feedback is always welcome


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis changes the past

**Shute E37, some time in the past**

Root was pretty sure he was supposed to be dead. The only clue that he wasn't was the fact that his ribs hurt like hell. Apparently, he had a habit of breaking them.

He couldn't hear, and all around him was darkness. That felt pretty much like death. Slowly - very slowly - sounds filtered through his ears to his brain. He winced. The smallest whisper sounded like a foghorn. He tried to manage a word - 'help' - but all that came out was a muffled groan. There was someone whispering reassurances above him (so d'arvitting _loud_ ) and he recognized that voice - he did! But he still couldn't see. He focused on the words coming out of whoever was with him. It wasn't Holly - it was a male. An Irish male. A Mud Man!

It took him a bit to process that the Mud Man was speaking in Gnommish. Luckily, this was easier for him to understand.

"You're safe," the boy was saying. "You're vision will return gradually, but I think I am correct in assuming your hearing is back?"

Root tried to manage another word. It still came out barely intelligible, but it seemed to satisfy the boy. He was right. Root's vision was coming back slowly. His surroundings weren't much to look at. They were in some sort of small cave, with dark cracks around them. Above him was a pale boy, who looked very familiar...

" _Artemis_? D'Arvit!" Root tried to scramble back, or reach for his blaster, but his ribs protested. He decided that if the boy wanted to hurt him, he would have, and if he had some elaborate scheme, it would take more than a Neutrino to stop it.

"Commander Root," Artemis acknowledged. "This must be very confusing for you, but you must get up. I've buried an acorn - or rather, your fingers buried an acorn, which means that magic is healing you now, but I can't stay in this environment much longer."

Root's thoughts finally arranged themselves. He remembered Opal, the bomb - it must have gone off. How had he survived? Artemis Fowl had saved him. Wait-

"How the hell do you know who I am?" Root growled. There was no reason pretending he was human. Artemis was in their world. He knew. "We mind wiped you! We-"

"And I am still mind wiped as of now," Artemis held up calming hands. "I will explain everything Commander. But I _must_ get you of here - and myself."

Root nodded, struggling upwards. Already his ribs were barely sore, though they had been cracked only moments before. He felt the magic running through his veins. Despite having just been next to a high level explosion, he felt _good_. On the other hand, there was no way Artemis felt good.

Artemis scrambled out of a crack and Root followed him, his body no longer registering pain. Good. He was healed. They emerged among rubble and destruction. Root began to study his unlikely savior. Artemis looked different. He was more physically fit, for one thing, and for another he seemed... older. His face was also softer and his bedside mannerisms had certainly improved. Root was glad that the mind wiped improved him but he was still unsure about the boy. How did he know? 

"Where's Holly?" Root demanded, picking his way through the rubble. Luckily, the chute doors were wide open.

"I imagine she's off saving my life," Artemis mused. "Retrieval will be here any minute to clean up the mess, and we must leave by then."

"No," Root stopped just outside the chute. The air was breathable out here, so the Mud Boy was out of danger. "I'm well known to Retrieval, Fowl. If you haven't forgotten, I'm a _Commander_. You're the only one in trouble."

Artemis quirked an eyebrow, "Poor way to repay your rescuer."

Root didn't budge. Artemis sighed.

"Would you believe me if I told you that if you don't come with me you will be putting Holly's life in danger?" 

Root studied Artemis' face. He looked deadly serious. If there was one thing Root knew, it was that you shouldn't underestimate Artemis Fowl. He took a deep breath. This could be the worst mistake of his life, but he was going with his gut. He should trust Artemis. He _would_ trust Artemis.

"Lead the way, Mud Boy."


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis' plan is fully realized

**Shute E37, present day**

"You brought back Commander Root?" Foaly was staring, horrified, at Artemis and the man standing with him.

"No need to look so delighted," Root grumbled, brushing off his LEP uniform. "Alright, Foaly. This Mud Boy said he'd explain everything, and I'm assuming you know what's going on."

"I _don't,_ " Foaly didn't even gloat. Then, he registered his mistake, and added"I mean, I probably know more than you, but even I don't know..."

"Perhaps I can clear everything up," Artemis intervened. "After we save Holly."

"Holly!" Foaly exclaimed. "Frond, Artemis, even if you saved Root, you didn't upgrade Spiro's security which means-"

"Holly's still dead," Trouble finished. "Artemis, how could you?"

The innocent young warlock looked devastated. Root turned purple.

"WHAT?" he roared. "WHAT'S THIS ABOUT HOLLY BEING DEAD? MUD BOY, YOU BETTER START TALKING!"

"She's not dead," Artemis said quickly. "I can assure you of that. But she is still in need of medical attention since she is covered in animal fat. I'm sure Retrieval - "

At that very moment, Trouble's comm buzzed to life.

"We have readings on Major Short, sir," the retrieval squad leader was speaking. "Her magic is completely gone, but her vitals are steady. We're getting her out of there, but it'll be tricky with all the Mud Men. They're distracted with Spiro, though. Do we have the green light?"

Trouble gaped, then pulled himself together long enough to say, "Yes."

Root, Foaly, Trouble, and N°1 turned to Artemis as one. Root spoke for all of them when he said,

"What in the name of _Frond_ is going on?"

**J. Argon Clinic, Haven**

Artemis, Root, Foaly, Trouble N°1, the Fowls, and Butler all convened by Holly's bedside. She was still recovering from being doused in animal fat, but otherwise she was in perfectly good health. She was glaring at Artemis.

"Explain yourself," she demanded. He obliged.

"I went back in time to upgrade Spiro's systems," Artemis began. "But somehow, I accidentally landed myself right in the middle of Opal's plan to kill Root and disgrace Holly."

Holly snorted. _Accidental._ Right. Artemis shot her a look, and she allowed him to continue.

"I knew that I had to save him, and I formulated a plan. All the things I needed to carry out that plan were, of course, right behind me since after we returned to present day I sent them back."

"Like you did when we were stuck in that truck when we were getting Jay-Jay?" Holly asked. Artemis nodded. Root and Butler were also nodding, but they were both utterly lost.

"I also knew that I couldn't interfere with the timeline - Holly had to believe that Root was dead," Artemis went on. "If I messed with Opal's plans, she could come up with a better one and we wouldn't have beaten her. Instead, I hacked the bomb's timer, which was remotely controlled, and set it three seconds earlier. That way, the bomb would go off three seconds after the timer reached zero. I then, covered in cam-foil, set a purely sound and light bomb between you, Holly, and you, Commander.

My bomb went off when the timer hit zero, but the only effects were temporary blindness and deafness. Then, I had three seconds to disable Root's bomb, which I did. In the time when he was passed out, I undid it from his chest using dwarf rock polish and helped him bury an acorn to complete the Ritual which allowed him to heal. Then, together, we came back through the Time Portal."

Root looked stunned, "I'm in the _future_?"

"You've been dead for six years, Commander," Holly had tears in her eyes. "Oh, _Frond_. Commander-"

Root looked away gruffly, then forced himself to stare straight into Holly's eyes.

"Well, then, it's good to see you, Captain."

"Actually," Holly was fighting back tears now. "It's Major."

"You took the promotion?" Root gave her a rare - very, very rare - smile.

"How could I not?" Holly grinned back. "Actually, I quit the LEP for a while. I was reinstated only recently."

"Will they reinstate me?" Root wondered aloud. A light laugh came from the corner. The huddled bunch turned simultaneously to see Commander Vinyaya standing there. Her eyes weren't far from misty either.

"Yes, Commander," she said softly. "I think they will."

"It's good to have you back, Commander," Holly said. "It really is."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holly gets some much deserved answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes that's right folks this story is drawing to a close :( but we still have some chapters up ahead :)

**Fowl Manor, Ireland**

Holly was, for lack of a better word, babysitting the Fowl's. Artemis had been speaking in low voices to his family for most of the evening, but now he finished and came over to her. He looked younger in the moonlight, though that may have only been the white light making his light features even paler. They were on a balcony attached to his bedroom. She was perched on the railing. He leaned against it without a word. She eyed him suspiciously. He only raised an eyebrow.

"Jon Spiro didn't shoot me," Holly said. "How?"

"His gun wasn't loaded," Artemis explained. "He fired a blank. I ordered the Chicago Mob to replace his gun with an unloaded one."

"They listened?"

"Well, I asked as a mysterious donor," Artemis smiled his vampire smile. "They weren't below selling out an annoying underling for the promise of 20 thousand US dollars."

"20 thousand isn't worth _that_ much," Holly protested.

"Neither was Spiro," Artemis shrugged. "I paid the Mob off for one night to see you safely returned."

"If you knew I was fine, why did you go back in time?" Holly asked. Artemis paused for a second. Holly could see him weighing possible answers in his mind. When he replied, she knew it was the truth, and the relief nearly overwhelmed her. Then she realized what he was saying.

"Holly, you're looking at this the wrong way," he said at last. "I didn't go back in time because you were hurt. You were hurt because I wanted to go back in time."

"You... you _put_ me in that situation?" Holly said, aghast. "Artemis - you... how?"

He gave her a mysterious smile that would have forced her silence years ago but now had no effect on her.

"Artemis Fowl the Second, within the past two days I led a prison break out, captured a group of circus dwarves, yelled at your father, got doused in animal fat, and nearly got shot with a bullet all for you," she glared. "If you don't tell me about your evil genius plan _right_ now-"

"Juvenile mastermind, please," Artemis interrupted mildly. "The evil is taking it a bit far. Very well, Holly. You deserve to know. But you must also never share this with the LEP. They already dislike me enough as it is. They would most likely eviscerate me for this plan."

"It's already been carried out," Holly said.

"Yes, but if you don't look too closely, which I'm sure the LEP does not want to do, the scheme seems entirely legal... if not..."

"Okay, I won't tell them," Holly affirmed. She turned to look at him, but he avoided her gaze.

"I released Jon Spiro from jail, led Sergei and the dwarves to him, and allowed him access to fairy technology," Artemis said, all in a breath. Holly stared at him.

"You revealed the People's existence to Jon Spiro? A Mud Man you knew would exploit us?"

"In such a way that he believed he had discovered you, yes," Artemis acknowledged, still not meeting Holly's eyes. "There was never any real danger. I had the Chicago Mob in my pocket the entire time. One word from me and he was dead - or imprisoned, which I find far more tasteful."

"Artemis, enough meandering," Holly scolded, "You allowed Spiro to find the People and me to put myself in harm's way for _what_?"

"To bring Commander Root back for you," Artemis said. Holly gasped, the sharp intake of breath audible to Artemis. He finally met her eyes. "It's past midnight. Happy birthday, Holly."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Spiro also gets some answers, but it's not what he was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like something people lose is artemis feeling-like-a-villain. artemis as a villain - but not quite - is something that i ADORE and, as such, in this chapter he gets his well-deserved villain monologue, except that he doesn't lose bc he's cool like that.

**Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago**

Jon Spiro observed the blurry figure from the corner of his eye. It must, of course, be cam foil because no fairy shield could be that obvious. 

"Artemis Fowl," his voice was hoarse because he had been screaming. He had always known his physical health was failing but, apparently, his mental health was, too. He had a breakdown in the holding cell and they had moved him to solitary. "What brings you here?"

"I'm not alone," Artemis responded candidly. He shimmered into existence, but not in the place where the blurry figure was. So he had been shielded, along with the fairy that had appeared beside him. Spiro recognized her. That was the little fairy who had snuck into his workspace, whom he had covered in animal fat and tried to shoot. She did not look happy to see him. He swallowed. Artemis pulled the cam foil off a computer in the corner. On it, an unfamiliar face was grinning nastily at him.

"Well, well," it was Foaly, though Spiro was not to know this. "If it isn't our resident crazy Mud Man."

Spiro still had enough dignity not to blush, "What are you all doing here?"

"I'm Major Holly Short," Holly introduced herself politely enough. "And you are going to do whatever I say."

Spiro nodded glumly. He didn't feel he had much choice. He resorted to scowling at Artemis Fowl, who looked entirely unconcerned. Damn him.

"We can't take the chance that some eccentric rich billionaire believes your crazy claims of an entire civilization under the earth," Short informed him. Spiro understood.

"You're going to mind wipe me," he said with conviction. Short nodded. She busied herself pulling electrodes from a drawer under the computer. When her back was turned, Spiro addressed Fowl. "And why are you here?"

"To gloat," Artemis said, not concealing his smirk. "Not extravagantly, of course, but I do want to make a few things clear. _I_ broke you out of prison. _I_ led Sergei and the dwarves to you. _I_ allowed you access to fairy technology. And _I_ took you down just as quickly as I built you up. Without these events, you would have been stuck in prison for the rest of your life. After your mind wipe, you will be stuck in prison for the rest of your life."

Holly busied around Spiro, attaching electrodes to his head. Artemis continued.

"You are nothing without me. You are a pawn in my game," he went on. Holly stepped back and turned to Foaly for technical help. Spiro had the feeling she was ignoring Artemis' claim to avoid red tape. But why? She _couldn't_ be protecting him. They _couldn't_ be friends. This pale boy in front of him would end up just like Spiro. Alone, friendless, in a prison cell. He had to - otherwise, what hope to Spiro have to cling to?

There was no way Artemis Fowl the Second had beaten all odds and made _friends_. Friends who were willing to lie and die for him because they trusted him. Spiro had never had that. He felt his jealousy mounting. He wanted them all dead. He wanted them _gone_. Artemis' revenge was complete indeed.

"You paid for breaking into Phonetix, but you never paid for killing my closest friend," Artemis' eyes flashed. Spiro grimaced. He had forgotten about Butler. "You won't remember this later, but I will. I will always remember, and whenever I require your services, I know where to find you. Your life is mine, Spiro. As you took Butler from me, I am taking the one person you care about most - you - from you."

"Mind wipe commencing," the centaur said, apparently unheeding of Artemis' speech. Spiro spat at the boy. He calmly avoided it by stepping to the side. 

"I win, Spiro," Artemis' demonic smile was the last thing he saw before the world went dark.

When he awoke, he could remember nothing but a vague sense of fear and the bitter taste of loss in his mouth.

Spiro never left prison again. After all, Artemis Fowl the Second had no use for him.


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, ok, i got a little sappy w the ending :) sue me.

"Commander Root," Holly said, standing in the doorway. "Reporting for duty, sir."

"You're on time," Root said, with surprise. Holly scowled.

"I'm always on time."

"Don't lie to your commanding officer, Captain...er, Major Short," Root said gruffly. "Come in. We have an issue. Skirmish outside Kremlin's Kebabs. I want you to take care of it. They're using human technology."

"What?" Holly's eyes widened. She could still feel the panic as Jon Spiro pulled the trigger.

"Baseball bats, Holly, nothing serious," Root said. "Oh, Frond. There were times when any human contraband was labelled as a Class A threat. Now we have megalomaniac pixies trying to overthrow the world every day."

"Not to mention dealing with Artemis," Holly said with a grin.

"Don't remind me," Root groaned. Holly stood to leave.

"Is that all, Commander?" she asked, heading for the door. He grunted. Then, just as she was about to leave, he yelled her name. "Yes, sir?"

"It's good to see you, Captain."

"It's good to see you too, sir," Holly's face lit up. "It's really, really good."

"Artemis?" his father stood in the doorway to his study. He hadn't knocked, but he hadn't come in, either, so Artemis shook away the feeling of irritation.

"Yes, father?"

"Can we talk a moment?"

This was the talk Artemis had known was coming. His father would scold him for keeping the fairy world a secret from him. They would be back to their old pattern, with his father being patronizing without even realizing it and Artemis protecting him from unseen foes without a word of thanks or a chance at unconditional love.

"Come in," Artemis said graciously. His father stepped in nervously.

"Arty," he began, "You and I used to be closer."

 _Is it my fault you have drifted away?_ Artemis thought bitterly, but he nodded his acquiescence. 

"You used to hang on to my every word and look to me for advice and approval," he continued. "Except my advice was bad and my approval was hard-won."

Artemis froze. His father, admitting to his mistakes?

"Then I disappeared - was kidnapped," his father said. "Which wasn't my fault, but cannot have been easy on you. Then, when I returned, you had done everything that should gain my pride. Instead, I went and changed on you. I offered no pride in what you had done and instead tried to force you into a different mold, one that I saw fit. By then, though, you were too old to follow me without a second thought. You had to hide your true nature from me while I went gallivanting about thinking I could save the world - and you."

"Father," Artemis cut in, but he held up his hand.

"No, listen, Artemis," his father said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for thinking that you were the same person you were when I left - more impressionable, less battle-hardened. I'm sorry you felt you had to hide things from me. I'm sorry this apology doesn't sound sincere and you're looking at me like I'm crazy because I should have said these things years ago."

"Why _are_ you saying them now?" Artemis inquired, to allow himself time to process.

"I had a little chat with one of your friends," Artemis Sr. said sheepishly. Artemis hid a smile. Holly. Of course.

"Well, then, what are you going to do about it?" Artemis asked, looking up at his father. Artemis Sr stared at him gravelly.

"Would you like to try again?" he asked. "There's still time for me to be your father."

Artemis did not have to consider, "Yes. I would like that very much."

Artemis Sr. left the room then, and Artemis did not follow him. Artemis was his own person, now. He was shaped by those around him, but he would never be subjected to their whims and wants. His communicator lit up, indicating a call from Holly. He nearly dove to it.

Well - almost never. He could make an exception, for Holly, and Butler, his mother and brothers. And maybe, even now, his father. Occasionally Root or Foaly as well. Artemis smiled. It had taken many, many years but, finally, Artemis' family was complete.

And he, as the self-appointed protector of the family, would never let any harm come to them. If anyone tried to touch a hair on their head he would destroy them. And, as Jon Spiro could attest to, _no one_ got the better of Artemis Fowl the Second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh so i kinda forgive artemis fowl sr are you guys proud of my character development. thank you for reading this story :) any and all feedback is welcome so please lmk if there's something you liked/didn't like. love you all <3


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